The NBA currently has the highest percentage of African-American athletes since the stat has been tracked. However, the percentage of white players in the NBA has reached an all-time low. Front office positions belonging to both women and people of color has risen since last year—once again everyone wants to be like Mike, as he is the lone African-American majority owner of an NBA team. Richard Lapchick, the author of this research, has shown that the NBA is leading all other major sports as the most uniquely diverse professional sport. In this report card Lapchick keeps us up to date with racial and gender issue progressions in the NBA.

The NBA remains the industry leader on issues related to racial and gender hiring practices. As the 2011 Racial and Gender Report Card shows, the National Basketball Association had the best grade among the men’s leagues for race and gender, as it has for two decades.

The NBA had an A+ for race and an A- for gender for a combined A.

Based on the total points used in the weighted scales, the NBA earned its highest combined grade ever at 92.2, up from its previous high of 91.5 in 2010. The NBA grade for race was 95.3, which was up significantly from the 2010 Report when it was 93.8.

The combined total and the total for race were both higher than for any other men’s sport in the history of the Racial and Gender Report Card.

The NBA again received men’s pro sports’ only A for a combined grade for race and gender.

In last year’s report, the NBA had an A for race, an A- for gender and a combined A.

Below are some of the report’s highlights:

–In the NBA, 83 percent of the players were people of color, an increase of one percentage point from last year’s totals. This represents the highest percentage of players of color since the Racial and Gender Report Card began reporting the composition of the NBA teams. The percentage of African-American players increased by one percentage point to 78 percent, equaling the highest since 2001-02. The percentage of Asians remained constant at 1 percent. The percentage of Latinos increased by one percentage point to 4 percent. The percentage of people of color classified as other was slightly under 1 percent. The percentage of international players decreased by one percentage point to 17 percent, the lowest percentage since the 2003-04 season.

–At 17 percent, this was the lowest percentage of white players since the Racial and Gender Report Card began reporting the composition of the NBA teams.

–Women held 42 percent of the professional positions in the NBA League Office. This decreased by two percentage points from the previous Report Card.

–Michael Jordan, who owns the Charlotte Bobcats, is the only African-American male team majority owner in the NBA. He succeeded Robert Johnson, previous owner of the Bobcats.

–There were nine African-American head coaches and one Asian head coach at the beginning of the 2010-11 NBA season. The percentage of head coaches of color increased from 30 percent in 2009-10 to 33 percent for 2010-2011.

–45 percent of assistant coaches in the NBA were coaches of color. This was the largest percentage since the RGRC began tracking this.

–At the beginning of the 2010-11 regular season, there were five African-American CEO’s/presidents in the NBA. Terdema Ussery of the Dallas Mavericks held the roles of both CEO and president. African-Americans held 10 percent of the CEO/president positions, which is a decrease of two percentage points from the 2009-10 season.

–The percentage of people of color holding professional administrative positions on NBA teams increased from 26 percent in last year’s Report Card to 27 percent. Women occupied 39 percent of these positions in the 2010-11 season, which equaled the 2009-10 season’s total.

–As of the end of the 2010-11 season, 55 percent of the NBA’s referees were white, 42 percent were African-American and 3 percent were Latino. Of the 60 referees, one was a woman.

The Racial and Gender Report Card is issued in every sport. The NBA Racial and Gender Report Card follows the Major League Baseball study and is the second report issued in 2011.

The NBA Report Card will be followed by Report Cards on the Women’s National Basketball Association, the National Football League, Major League Soccer and College Sport. The complete Racial and Gender Report Card will be issued thereafter.

The WNBA continues to lead the way in the University of Central Florida’s Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport annual report card. In fact, the WNBA has earned the highest combined grade for any sport in the study since 2004.

Richard Lapchick, the leader of the study, says “The WNBA remained as the best employer overall for women and people of color in any sport.”

The Report Card is issued sport-by-sport. The WNBA Racial and Gender Report Card is the third report issued so far in 2010 after the releases of reports on Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association. The complete Racial and Gender Report Card will be issued after the release of the NFL, MLS and college sport reports.

Here are a few of the highlights in the 2010 report on the WNBA:

- The 2010 WNBA Racial and Gender Report Card received a combined grade for race and gender of an A+ by earning an A+ for gender and an A for race.

- For the second consecutive Report Card, the WNBA had the highest number of A’s as well as the lowest number of grades below an A in all categories in the history of the Racial and Gender Report Card.

- The number of white players decreased by one percentage point during the 2009 season, and decreased another four percentage points in the 2010 season.

- Sheila Johnson was the only person of color considered an owner during the 2009 and 2010 seasons. In 2006, Johnson became the first African-American woman to hold any ownership in a WNBA team when she was named managing partner of the Washington Mystics when Lincoln Holdings, LLC acquired the team from Abe and Irene Pollin. Ms. Johnson owns approximately 6-7 percent of Lincoln Holdings.

- Donna Orender remains the only woman president of a professional sports league.

- At the start of the 2010 season, there were four African-American head coaches, a five percentage point decrease from the 2009 season. There were six women head coaches in the 2009 season and seven women head coaches at the start of the 2010 season, representing a 12 percentage point increase.

- Since the last WNBA Report Card, the percentage of African-American assistant coaches increased from 42 to 44 percent in 2010 while the percentage of white assistant coaches decreased from 58 to 56 percent. The percentage of women as assistant coaches rose slightly from 55 to 56 percent, though the number was nearly half. In 2010, WNBA teams in general reduced the number of assistant coaches hired due to several factors, including the league’s new restriction on the number of coaches allowed on the bench.

- The number of women in the CEO/presidents role increased from five to six in 2009, and remained at six in 2010.

- In the 2010 season, there were six women and four African-Americans as general managers (two were African-American women).

- With the relocation of the Tulsa Shock from Detroit, and the subsequent hiring of Nolan Richardson as the head coach and general manager, the league added an African-American to increase the people of color holding leadership positions.

- During the 2010 season, 30 percent of team senior administrators were people of color (up 10 percentage points), including 24 percent African-American (up 12 percentage points). Sixty five percent of senior team administrators in the WNBA were women, up from 44 percent in 2009. The grades for Senior Administration increased in both race and gender to an.

- In the professional administration category in the 2010 season, whites increased by three percentage points to 80 percent, and African-Americans increased by two percentage points to 17 percent. Latinos decreased from three percent to zero percent in 2010, while the percentage of women increased from 49 to 54 percent. In the Professional Administration category, in the 2008 season, both whites and African-Americans increased by one percentage point to 72 percent and 14 percent, respectively. Latinos decreased from 15 percent to 10 percent in 2008, while the percentage of women increased from 48 to 52 percent.

According to Richard Lapchick, the study’s author, the NBA continues to lead the way on diversity issues in sport. The study found that 36 percent of the professional positions at the NBA League Office are held by people of color and women hold 44 percent of the professional positions. Both are higher than any other men’s professional league.

Below are some of the highlights reported by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport:

· In the NBA, 82 percent of the players were people of color, remaining constant from last year’s totals. This ties the highest percentage of players of color since the ‘94-95 season. The percentage of African-American players also remained constant from last year’s report at 77 percent. The percentage of Latinos and Asians remained constant, at three and one percent, respectively. The percentage of international players stayed steady as well at 18 percent.

· Professional opportunities for people of color in the NBA League Offices – at 36 percent – increased from 35 percent for the ‘08-09 season. This is the highest percentage in the NBA’s history and the highest in the history of any professional sport.

· Women held 44 percent of the professional positions in the NBA League Office. This increased by one percentage point from the previous Report Card and was higher than any other men’s professional league in any previous Report Card though still below the NBA’s high of 49 percent female professionals in the league office in ‘95-96.

· There were 34 women in vice president positions in the NBA League Office during the ‘09-10 NBA season, which is an increase of three.

· Michael Jordan, who owns the NBA Charlotte Bobcats, is men’s pro sports only African-American team majority owner. He succeeded Robert Johnson, previous owner of the Bobcats.

· There were one Asian and eight African-American head coaches at the beginning of the ‘09-10 NBA season. The percentage of head coaches of color dropped from 40 percent in ‘08-09 to 30 percent.

· 41 percent of assistant coaches in the NBA were coaches of color.

· As of the end of the ‘09-10 season, 56 percent of the NBA’s referees were white, 41 percent were African-American and three percent were Latino. Of the 60 referees, one was a woman.